YLD's Color of Justice College Roadshow named runner-up in national Next Steps Diversity Challenge

May 20, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 20, 2014)—The S.C. Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) placed second in the American Bar Association YLD Next Steps Diversity Challenge for its program, the Color of Justice College Roadshow.

Still in its early stages, the Color of Justice College Roadshow travels to Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout South Carolina providing information to students about law school preparation and the overall practice of law. Its purpose is to equip minority college students with the tools necessary to enter the legal profession through preparation (educating students on preparing for law school and the LSAT), performance (addressing what students should expect and how to succeed in law school) and practice (providing insight on what it means to practice law).

As part of the award, the YLD Color of Justice Committee received a $1,000 grant to expand the program and continue its work statewide.

“According to a recent ABA Report, in 2012 there were approximately 1.268 million attorneys in the United States. Of that number, 25 percent were classified as minorities, which is not reflective of the communities we serve,” said Chisa J. Putman, co-chair of the YLD Color of Justice Program. “We are so excited that our program received this grant because it will assist us in reaching more students, providing additional resources and ultimately impacting the "Color of Justice"—allowing our legal system to be more reflective of those we serve.”

The Color of Justice Roadshow is an extension of YLD’s Color of Justice Program, which is co-sponsored by the National Association of Women Judges and designed to introduce the field of law to middle and high school minority students during a one-day symposium. For more information of the Color of Justice Program, visit www.scbar.org/yld.

The Next Steps Diversity Challenge encourages ABA YLD affiliates to help increase diversity in the educational pipeline to the legal profession through informational programs and events. It is sponsored by the ABA Young Lawyers Division, ABA Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, and ABA Law Student Division. For more information, visit www.americanbar.org.

The YLD includes all members of the S.C. Bar under age 36 and those with less than five years membership.

The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 15,000 lawyers, is dedicated to advancing justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.